Nice John Lucas article in Classic Porsche

[neilbardsley]

I was in need of something to read on the train to Long Buckby so I bought KS' Classic Porsche since I saw an article about John Lucas. John's is a name that I had heard from Mark Collins. Mark said that John had shown him how to work on his engine (I believe he has other stories too but I will let him decide if he tells them). Google hadn't helped me learn more much more about John so when I saw his name in the mag I was interested. Without breaking copyright and giving away the contents of the mat it's well worth a read since you get the impression that John wasn't scared to push the boundaries when looking for performance.

Any on here have any good stories or experiences to share about John?

[KS]

When I worked at Autocavan doing VW race stuff, John would come along to work on the Porsches. At lunchtime, we'd go and buy a cake and a bottle of wine, sit outside the workshop door in the sunshine and demolish the wine, while everyone else tucked into their sandwiches and coffee from the machine. Funny how we were the only ones smiling in the afternoon. Didn't get much work done, though.

He sold me the original steering wheel from his Speedster, complete with a full-circle horn ring, for £25. When a week later I asked if I could by another one he had, he said he'd decided to hang on to it as 'I think I solid you that last one a bit cheap!'

Miss John. Knew him for almost 30 years and he and Eric Studer made a hilarious double act.

[Hugo 356]

Not a John story as such but I remember seeing that 356 racing at Brands Hatch in a one make series when I was a youngster, which I'm sure influenced my choice of Porsche... It was during its 'apostrophe' era so may have had Caroline at the wheel.

The car cropped up again a couple of decades later in the paint shop at one of Roger Bray's open days. I didn't realise until then that it was a Carrera nor that it resembled a Swiss cheese! I'm planning to go to Roger's open day 25th April so may see some of you there...

KTF
Hugo

[roy mawbey]

Yes John was a nice guy and I spoke to him in the early 70's a number of times. I wonder what happened to his 356 racing friend Edgar Valentine? With those two and Eric Studer they really worked hard to promote the 356. I remember Nick Faure as well racing a 356 so well in the Thruxton races.
Seems a long time ago now. I wonder if Johns daughter Caroline still gets to drive a 356?

Every time I see that Brighton 'green party' MP Caroline Lucas on TV it reminds me of John. Even wondered if it was her!!

Roy

[912uk]

Yes, great loss really in terms of a man who like Eric ( funny man ) would know what parts to use again, and what parts to throw away. On a 4 pot engine rebuild. Like lego thrown on the floor with no instructions each and every part was registered in his brain and could be assembled or described in detail without instructions or reference to hand.

To boot he was a nice guy too, lived localish to me and I would pop in from time to time and learn from the master.

We rebuilt a few motors including my 54 Pre A engine. I learnt more about that mistry engine in 15 mins than I did in the 5 years at the that time I had owned it. My 356 engine was one of the last engines he build before he was taken from us. I say taken as he had survived his operation I wished him luck the day before he went in and never saw him again. Sadly complications in recovery from his operation.

Working from a ram shackled shed/ sheds, I say sheds because that's what he had.. Sheds FULL of parts. I remember very much like Kieth said. He sold me some spare 356 Normal heads for £25 and then said " I think I sold them to you abit too cheap " but the fact was he sold them to some one, who has them for spares and knows their future value in terms of keeping a car on the road not as a future value in money terms.
These sheds where full of parts a 4x6 shed full of 356 heads!!!! I will never forget walking in and just thinking this is where 356's heads came to die! loads of them!!!!!!! a part was found by walking the many sheds in the garden! Almost comical to think that but it was true. Unfortunately, when he passed some one jumped in to gather all the parts.

( Thanks I have just been informed who had the parts I will be calling them next week ! ) lets see how this pans out I am not hopeful but lets see.

[912uk]

Yes John was a nice guy and I spoke to him in the early 70's a number of times. I wonder what happened to his 356 racing friend Edgar Valentine? With those two and Eric Studer they really worked hard to promote the 356. I remember Nick Faure as well racing a 356 so well in the Thruxton races.
Seems a long time ago now. I wonder if Johns daughter Caroline still gets to drive a 356?

Every time I see that Brighton 'green party' MP Caroline Lucas on TV it reminds me of John. Even wondered if it was her!!

Roy

No it's not her.. I had met her once. Her other half raced I am not sure with kids racing had continued with her but I might be wrong.

[KS]

She's married to Mike Pickup of Pickup Motorsport.

[51 coupe]

I read the article with interest, and generally people think John Lucas ran a Scat engine in his Carrera. He did for a period until it melted. He claimed it was really only suitable for drag racing. I saw the remains of it in his shed in about '94.

In reality the experimental engine which he ran was type 1 VW based, 2 litre(ish), dry sump, with modified Superflow heads which were liquid cooled (oil) and 44idf Webers. It required the twin oil coolers up front which are shown on the photos in the article in Classic Porsche. With the amount of pipework required it probably held 10 litres of oil.

How do I know? I bought it of him.

[KS]

John tried to persist with the Scat engine but the weakness was that the valve guides ran dry and seized the valves. The only way it could be cured was by running a spray bay through each head, fed by an external oil line, which sprayed a jet of oil at each valve/spring. This modification was carried out for John by John Brewster, then of Autocavan Ipswich, who tried using the Scat heads in drag racing. John B also welded the oil jackets on the Superflo heads you have.

Scat tried to apply aircraft principles to the VW engine (the complete motor was also promoted in slightly different form – twin ignition system, etc – for aircraft use) but the head design never really worked. The Scat motor episode cost a lot of money and time, but was a great example of what lengths Lukie would go to get the edge over the modern opposition.

[roy mawbey]

I remember speaking to John probably around the time he bought in 1970 his speedster NJF 250. It was a 1500 normal, a RHD and in 1970 cost him around £70-

That car was rare to say the least even in 1970 as they only sold a handful in RHD form. I kept the PCGB magazine with John's 1970 entry in it and have for many years wondered what ever happened to it after he started restoration. I was a member of PCGB from the late 60's and then hopped in and out of membership till around the 90's. ( I saw his A in a club meeting near Southampton when his daughter was probably driving it. Took some photo's which are still around somewhere.)

The Speedster though I think Mike Smith told me was still around and was restored? ( Anybody Keith? fill in the gaps? Nice article by the way in Classic Porsche Keith.)
Bill Goodman also bought a RHD speedster for around £60- at similar date to Johns. His car OV3 I have not seen anything of but think he transferred the reg number when he sold it.

Below a copy of Johns article. ( what a buy at £70- I bet he would never have thought it would rise on price to current levels. )





Roy

[neilbardsley]

John tried to persist with the Scat engine but the weakness was that the valve guides ran dry and seized the valves. The only way it could be cured was by running a spray bay through each head, fed by an external oil line, which sprayed a jet of oil at each valve/spring. This modification was carried out for John by John Brewster, then of Autocavan Ipswich, who tried using the Scat heads in drag racing. John B also welded the oil jackets on the Superflo heads you have.

Scat tried to apply aircraft principles to the VW engine (the complete motor was also promoted in slightly different form – twin ignition system, etc – for aircraft use) but the head design never really worked. The Scat motor episode cost a lot of money and time, but was a great example of what lengths Lukie would go to get the edge over the modern opposition.

What kind of rpm are you talking about before value guides seize?

PS well having a google for John Brewster I came across this

http://johnmaherracing.com/2012/10/vw-d ... eald-1989/

Super charger speedster and Keith!

[KS]

The engine would be revving to near 7000rpm on the straight at Brands.

It was a fault of the design of the castings which held the rocker shafts, etc. There was not enough oil flying around to lubricate the valve stems, hence the need for spray bars. Stock VW or Porsche 356-style heads don't have these worries...

[vwretrosteve]

John was the source for my 58A many moons ago - a car which I subsequentially sold, traced and bought back. (This car was then modified by T2d for a mutual friend as I built my Yellow coupe)